


Why “The Empty Hearse” Seemed a Bit Light

by TheNavelTreatment



Category: Sherlock (TV), Sherlock Holmes & Related Fandoms
Genre: Analysis, Gen, Meta, Story Arc
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-02-01
Updated: 2014-02-01
Packaged: 2018-01-10 20:03:07
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,054
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1163908
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheNavelTreatment/pseuds/TheNavelTreatment
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A review of "The Empty Hearse" - what worked and what really didn't</p>
            </blockquote>





	Why “The Empty Hearse” Seemed a Bit Light

 

I finally got a chance to watch “The Empty Hearse.” I cracked under the pressure of having to avoid every single one of my social media outlets and found a way into the BBC iPlayer that didn’t seem _that_ sketchy.  So I watched it. And then I watched it again. And then I watched my favorite parts over. While I was generally really happy with the episode, there were a couple of things that bothered me.  I think that’s good though; it creates a dialogue with the creators, and let’s be honest, after such a long hiatus, there were going to be a couple letdowns and loose ends.  All in all, I’m excited for what comes next.

Let’s start with what rocked. The opening; though I will admit, in the moment, I was so pissed that was how he did it, I actually paused the video. Before realizing no, it’s obviously not that easy. But that, and all the other nods to fandom throughout the episode, was brilliant. Especially the “Sherlock Lives” hashtag, because that’s exactly what fans were doing while watching. And as an Andrew Scott fan, THAT MOMENT on the roof was absolute perfection.  Gatiss and Moffat made subtle digs at the fourth wall and acknowledged the fandom with Anderson perfectly. Based on his performance in this and “Many Happy Returns,” Jonathan Aris’ ability to produce comic gold has been tragically underused in the first two seasons.

And can we talk about the shots in this movie? My God, the cinematography is to die for; assuming I get married someday I want them to do my wedding video, because it will be epic. Music was also perfectly placed; just like “Sinnerman” in The Fall, “Donde Estas, Yolanda?” set the perfect tone in the perfect moment.

Let’s talk about that moment, because I think this episode truly shines when dealing with the John and Sherlock relationship.  It’s been mentioned in interviews that both Gatiss and Moffat were dissatisfied with Watson’s reaction in the story (he faints, but then pretty much accepts Sherlock being back and moves on), and I think they tweaked it perfectly. Martin Freeman is the emotional heart and soul of this series, and Benedict Cumberbatch pulled off having Sherlock show a little feeling too. The scenes where they were missing each other (hearing voices, the bonfire and the carriage/cab/whatever confession) broke your heart in all the right ways, and its their relationship I’m looking forward to seeing develop the most.

All that being said, like Anderson, I couldn’t help being a little…disappointed. It’s like Gatiss and Moffat were so busy being clever they forgot about the plot. I’m happy there were so many nods to fandom, but when I want fandom I go on Tumblr; when I turn on Sherlock I want to be blown away by the story. By playing so much to one set of fans, they risked alienating another; the canon core. My Dad, whose loved Sherlock Holmes his entire life but has no idea what “Johnlock” is, was completely lost. There are SO MANY holes in the Lazarus story Sherlock tells Anderson (check out ‘the empty fall’ hashtag on Tumblr) that I don’t think we’ve heard the final explanation of How He Did It. Which makes me both happy and sad; happy, because I think we (and the show) deserves a better explanation, but sad because I also think we need some new controversy to dissect. There are only 3 episodes; having this cliffhanger drag out the whole season risks slowing the pacing down. Conan Doyle got over The Fall. He had Sherlock provide an explanation, and then moved on to write almost 25 more stories; I think Gatiss and Moffat need to do the same.

The terrorist plot was just so convoluted; I know a lot of the original stories were kind of nebulous, but there were so many divergent threads in this one it got a little ridiculous, and is completely out of character for how the series has been written so far. The way that Moran was dealt with is tragic, because that character has so much potential. (and, um, did North Korea try and bomb the London Underground..?) And I’m sorry, the ending was a cop-out; no, bombs do not always have off switches, because if that were true there would not have been any action movies made for the last 50 years. I’m sincerely hoping this is a case of seeing the trees and missing the forest for the moment, and that everything ties together once we know more about CAM, but I can’t help feeling a little let down after seeing this episode on its own.

The final thing that bothered me a little, and has kind of always bothered me, is that Sherlock Holmes comes off as cruel. When I’ve read the stories, or seen other portrayals of Holmes, I’ve always gotten the impression that when he insults other people or shows off, it’s not because he’s trying to be mean, but because he’s so wrapped up in his own intelligence that he genuinely doesn’t notice how it effects other people (Jonny Lee Miller pulls this off really well in “Elementary”). In this version, though, it seems like Sherlock is getting his kicks not only by putting himself in danger, but also by putting others down.  I mean, I get not understanding human emotions, but making your best friend think he’s about to blow up to get him to say he forgives you is just mean. I’m not sure if this is a function of how this Sherlock is written or how Cumberbatch plays him, but I’m hoping part of his character development is to make Sherlock, if not more empathetic, at least a little nicer.

There it is; but before you bite my head off, please remember I’m critical because I care. I grew up with Sherlock Holmes, and fell in love with this version rather quickly, and I want to continue to be shocked and delighted. I want this season to be just as worthy of two years of theories as the last one was, and I think in the forthcoming episodes it will be. Now if you’ll excuse me, before then, I have to go watch Freeman head-butting Cumberbatch a few more times.

 

 


End file.
